A Thin Line
by mandaree1
Summary: Cassidy Williams and Judy Reeves couldn't stand each other. They refuse to inhabit the same state if they can help it. But there was a time when they drew up a fragile peace treaty- for a blond baby boy. And we all know how that story ends.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated**

**Title: A Thin Line**

**Alternative Title: It's Your Fault Too (Because I Can't Take The Guilt Alone)**

**Summary: Cassidy Williams and Judy Reeves couldn't stand each other. They refuse to inhabit the same state if they can help it. But there was a time when they drew up a fragile peace treaty- for a blond baby boy.**

**Warnings: Possible O.O.C, etc. The usual.**

**...**

"Does she really have to come _here_?"

"Believe me, Brad, it's not my idea of a good time either. But if this is going to work, we're going to have to play nice for a little while."

"I hate playing nice." Brad grunted, looking away. "Especially with _Cassidy_."

"None of us are happy with the situation, Brad. But this isn't about us. It's about Frederick. Surely your own_ son_ is enough for you to put down the assassination traps for a bit, right? Cassidy is coming unarmed, she promised me that- and we all know how she is about keeping her word." Of course, 'coming unarmed' usually just meant leaving the heavy artillery at home and bringing a pocket knife and a taser anyway, but for them that was the same as coming naked. Cassidy was taking just as many risks as they were, if not more.

"Yeah, I guess. Just... do I have to talk to her?"

"Not if you play your cards right. If you want to go running out the back door every time she shows up on the front step, then be my quest."

"Good. If you need me, I'll be at the store, collecting some ropes and wires for our newest trap."

"Brad, we don't _have_ a newest trap."

"_Ah_, but Cassidy doesn't know that."

No sooner had the back door closed then the doorbell rang. Judy wasn't particularly surprised; Cassidy _was_ known for her timing, after all.

Judy gathered her wits, straightened her shoulders, and opened the door. "Hello."

"Hey yourself." Cassidy glanced around the room. "Brad too scared to face me?"

"He doesn't want to deal with you right now, no."

"And neither do you."

Cassidy gave her a knowing look. Judy_ hated_ that look.

She shrugged with a careful amount of disinterest. "I'm not going to lie, Cassidy. I hate the very air you breathe."

"Believe me, the feelings a hundred percent mutual." She leaned against the doorway and crossed her arms defensively.

"Look... The curse, the Freak, the treasure, we can't afford _not_ to name a godparent." She paused. Her gaze wavered. "And since our families and the system are completely out of the question, it was between you, Ricky, and that _Pericles_. As much as I hate to admit it, you're the sanest of them."

"Gee, thanks."

"Do you want to see him or not?"

"Alright, alright. I can take a hint."

"Believe it or not, Cassidy, I _am_ trying to act civil."

"I know. So am I."

A long pause that contained plenty of glaring but not much else occurred. "...We're being really pathetic right now, aren't we?"

"Yeah, we are." Cassidy blinked, and suddenly the moment was gone. "So, why the big fuss over naming a godparent? Scared the baby'll end up an orphan?"

"Please. I'm more worried that, if a godparent isn't around to pick up the slack, we'll have to take_ him_ with us and end up childless."

"That would require you letting go. Never happen."

"I'm taking that as a compliment."

"Take it however you want."

Judy stiffly stepped back and to the right, hand griping the edge of the door tightly. How she longed to smash it in the other woman's face. "Would you like to come in?"

Cassidy stepped in the doorway and scanned the room. Judy raised an eyebrow.

"What are you doing?"

"Checking for ropes. Trip-lines. That sort of thing."

"Cassidy, please. Give me _some_ credit. I wouldn't kill my only son's godparent. Not in my own house, anyway."

Cassidy breathed a soft sigh of relief and stepped fully into the room. "You want to know somethin' sad? That actually gave me a measure of comfort."

"You're right. That_ is_ sad."

"Don't push it."

"Hey, you started it."

There was another long pause of silence and glaring. Judy tried to remember the days when they could stand near each other and not feel the least bit threatened. They seemed so long ago now. A lifetime, even.

"Would you like to see him?"

"Yes, yes I would. It'd make my day."

The two walked side by side, Judy leading, unwilling to let the other fall behind and open themselves to an attack.

Judy gently took the baby out of his crib and handed him to the other woman. Cassidy accepted him without a word.

"He's pretty cute, as far as babies go, I guess. What's his name?"

"Frederick."

"Frederick." Cassidy repeated, deadpan. She shook her head. "Of course you'd name him Frederick." She glanced at the baby with kind smile. "Little baby Freddy."

"Freddy?" Judy blinked and shook her head. "You and your nicknames."

Cassidy ignored her, staring at the baby a few moments longer before looking up and nodding. "Alright. I'll be the godparent."

Judy's smile was smug. "As if you had any choice."

* * *

"You know, for a man that's shallower than a puddle, Brad sure has some good taste."

Judy looked up from her book with a raised eyebrow, because where_ had_ that come from? "Excuse me?"

Cassidy shrugged. She'd been absentmindedly rocking his crib for almost two hours now, Judy reflected. It'd been a bad night, so she'd called Cassidy over to help them all get some sleep. 'Little Freddy' honestly just seemed to like her better, and slept harder and more peacefully whenever she was around. Judy wasn't sure if she should be amused or jealous. She wondered if the woman's arms hurt.

"Well, think about it. He could be anywhere right now, doing anything. But he's not. He's got just enough class- and self-consciousness- _not_ too."

"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say that was a compliment. As in, you- Cassidy Williams- just complimented my husband, who hates your guts."

"The feeling is completely mutual. And it wasn't a compliment, it was an observation."

"Hmm.." She idly watched the other woman a few moments, an idea dawning on her. "Cassidy, you can't have children, can you?"

Cassidy stiffened. She stopped rocking the crib and stared at her hand as though she hadn't realized she were doing it. "Don't want 'em."

"That's not what I asked."

She shrugged. "Dunno. Never tried. Not _gonna_ try. I'm not one to rock an already dangerous boat."

Judy's eyes narrowed. "And what does _that_ mean?"

Cassidy raised both hands in a 'don't shoot' gesture. "Judy, you and Brad run a company that makes more a year than I will in my lifetime. I'm a_ DJ_, for pete's sake. I barely make enough to survive, not to mention a kid."

"Hmm, I suppose that_ is_ a good point. Pity. You wouldn't be half-bad as a mother."

"Gee, thanks." For the shortest of seconds, the smallest of moments, something flashed in her eyes that tore away the sarcasm and made the retort seem almost genuine. Kind, even.

But this was Cassidy, and she was Judy, so it wasn't.

* * *

"Brad, I'm _begging_ you to think about this."

"I _have_ thought about it, and I see no downside. I want my boy to know all about his roots; see the place his mother and I first met, etc."

"Brad, for pete's sake, he's barely old enough to hold his head up. Besides, the Freak-"

"Will leave us alone." He cut in, eyes narrowed. "This is just a simple visit, Cassidy. We're not going in and poking our noses into things."

"Don't lie to me, Brad. I know you too well to believe that."

"Who asked you, anyway?"

"No one did. It's one of the perks of being a godparent."

Brad scowled. "You won't be if you don't stop sticking your nose into our business."

Cassidy's jaw dropped. "You wouldn't."

"I would." He nodded. "I never wanted you as Frederick's godparent. I'd rather he'd be sent to an orphanage. And you're pushing it."

Cassidy snarled at him. "Judy would never agree to it."

"Maybe, maybe not. Are you willing to take that chance?"

And leave Baby Freddy totally _alone_ with these people? Not a chance.

Cassidy sighed and whipped around, marching out the door with her head held high.

* * *

"Judy, are you crazy?"

"Crazy? What's_ that_ supposed to mean?"

"You agreed with Brad. He's takin' your_ son_ to Crystal Cove; home of the _Freak_. And you agreed with him."

"Oh, that." Judy shrugged. "I don't see why not."

"Isn't the Freak good enough reason to stay away?"

"Cassidy, it's been over two years. A lot can change in two years. I doubt the people of Crystal Cove even remember what we look like, and the Freak probably thinks we're dead. No one will recognize us."

"No one except our _parents_."

"All of whom have either passed on or moved away in shame." Judy leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. "Cassidy, you're pushing things that don't need to be pushed."

Cassidy stared at her a long moment, then the baby in her arms.

"Right. Never mind. Just... be careful, alright?"

"Why, Cassidy, are you worried?"

"Forget worried. I'm drop-dead terrified."

"Well, don't be. Brad and I are much better than some monster with a scythe."

"I know, and that's what worries me."

* * *

Cassidy knew something was wrong the moment the phone rang.

"Judy? How'd it go?"

A long pause of silence, then. "He took him."

Cassidy's heart sunk, but her voice managed to remain steady.

"The Freak?"

"Who else?" Judy was in near-hysterics. "He took him, Cassidy. He took Frederick."

Cassidy sunk to the floor and cradled the phone to her ear. "Then we gotta go get him back."

"Don't you _dare_, Cassidy. He, it, the _Freak_ swore he'd be safe, as long as we never returned."

"Then I'll go."

Judy sighed. Cassidy imagined her shaking her head. "Cassidy, there's just... Crystal Cove isn't exactly all that _diverse_. If you went in right after he'd caught us, well... the Freak would spot you a mile away."

"Don't I know it." She sighed, head falling. "I'm sorry, Judy. Really, I am."

"You should've pressed the issue."

The accusation is so sudden that Cassidy's head pops back up. She'd almost forgotten they hated each other, caught up in the moment. The words brought reality crashing back on her. "Excuse me?"

"You _knew_ something like this would happen, but you didn't push it."

"It wasn't my right to press. He's _your_ child, Judy. I can't just waltz in and dictate whether or not you should agree to letting your husband take your son to the place we were thrown out of like old dish rags. That's up to you." An old pang of hurt voiced itself, but Cassidy ignored it. It was old, and she knew how to deal with it by now.

"Don't make excuses."

"I'm not. _You're_ the one lookin' for someone else to blame."

There was a long pause. "We never forged any records."

"Huh?"

"Frederick. We didn't have any records for him; birth records, social security, any of it. They'll never know; _he'll_ never know. And, maybe that's for the best. Maybe he'll be happier in Crystal Cove."

"Judy, I-"

"There was never any record of you being his secondary guardian, either. And... I _know_ that's for the best. This was all a big mistake."

"Hey now, listen to-"

"We're moving. Don't come looking. Never call me, and don't you ever come knocking on our door again."

"But, I-I..." She sighed and shook her head. "I hear you."

"Not if I can help it."

The line went dead.

* * *

It all seemed so long ago now. A lifetime, even. And, in its own right, it was. But there was nothing Cassidy could do about it now.

There had been a lingering notion in the back of her mind every since she'd met Freddy that he was the baby Judy lost such a long time ago, but she'd resisted it. Sure, he had the build, hair, and trap obsession, but it wasn't logical. The Freak wouldn't give up his number one bargaining chip; _especially_ not to that power-hungry dope of a mayor.

But then the mask had been pulled off, and Cassidy was forced to rethink_ her_ logic for once. And at times like these, Cassidy preferred her logic to be perfect (or as perfect as anything _she_ did could be) as possible so there was less for her to worry about.

"He'll take after his father." Judy had sworn, and Cassidy had shrugged discreetly and rolled her eyes (_yeah right_), but...

"Heh. I guess sometimes the parents _are_ right after all."

Cassidy hated to admit it, but she _owed_ the mayor. For Freddy. For Freddy not being like his parents; for him having a good set of morals and a good (if odd) head on his shoulders.

The man who'd kicked them out of their hometown like a bunch of strays had actually_ helped_ the cause. And _she_ owed _him _because of it. And that really pissed off her pride.

"Did you say something, Cassidy?"

She turned. All of Mystery Incorporated was staring at her. These days it seemed that if one was looking at her, at _least_ one or two others were as well, as though they feared that one stare wasn't enough to hold her in place.

They did that with the Sheriff and other adults they didn't trust. It was subconscious and she knew it, but it still hurt.

(Not that she didn't deserve it or anything, but that was besides the point.)

Cassidy smiled cryptically (quite on purpose, because she knew it drove them crazy when she did that and if they got to poke and prod her then she was more than allowed to poke and prod back) and turned away slightly. "No, nothing."

Nothing important, anyway.

Cassidy shook herself mentally. The past couldn't be helped, and there was nothing she could (or would) do about it. The _now_ and the _then_ were what needed her attention the most right now.

Even if it cost her her life, she'd keep them safe.

**Author's Note: So, if you can't tell by now, I have a thing for the original Mystery Incorporated. Specifically Cassidy. I love the dysfunction and hatred between them; it made them all the more realistic.**

**And I can't help but headcanon that, even though they couldn't stand each other, they _needed_ each other to survive before they returned. Cassidy as Fred's godparent, Ricky begrudgingly giving Judy and Brad the kickstart money they needed for their trapping company and never demanding a repayment, Brad irritably paying off Cassidy's student debts after she finished college so she wouldn't have any money-collectors come banging on her door and poke their noses in their pasts and never telling her it was him who did it, etc. I dunno, I guess I just like the idea that they had their grey areas amongst the feuding.**

**No flames! Don't like don't read! Review!**


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